The Beauty of Aging Dogs

Bella is not an old dog, she's a young pup of two and a half years. Her best dog buddies, however, are mature. Boone is six and Amber, ten. Although they are nice to Bella, her energy can be a bit overwhelming for them. This Christmas, Amber and her owner will be joining us. Bella's half-sister, Molly, a young girl of three who is "mature" by nature, will also be there. There is a chance our in-laws' in-law's dog will be joining us also. If that's the case, he is younger than Bella. I'm anticipating a packed house with a fair amount of chaos.

Amber, the matriarch, and Molly, the mellow, will be the calm in the storm. There is something quite magnificent about an older dog. They know the rules; they are tried and true. Their lovely, graying muzzles exemplify their inherent dignity. They ask very little of your time, but never shirk their duty to greet you, follow you, or lend their head for stress-reducing pats.

Bella's best buddy, Amber.

Our first dog Suzie, was a two-year old pound-puppy  when she came home with me. She wasn't a big dog; at her heaviest she was only a hair over 45 pounds. At the time, dog food had not progressed in "healthfulness" to the extent it has today, but I tried to feed her well and she certainly got plenty of exercise. Perhaps it was her small size and good genetics, but Suzy was mountain biking with us up until she was 14 and even joined us on short rides for two more years. At 16, she was content to limit her activities to non-strenuous hikes and for two more years, small walks. Suz made it to 18. What a blessing she was! She will always have a special part in my heart reserved just for her.

Miss Lucy, my poor sick hound dog, barely crested 11. Even though she was a handful, I felt quite deprived that her time with us was so short. My fingers are so crossed that Bella makes a Guinness record for longevity.

There are two Internet links I want to share with you about old dogs. This one is from Bark magazine about a little, bitty mutt named Betsy who celebrated her 21st birthday back in August. A legal drinker! You go, Betsy-girl! I hope she's still with us; how awesome she's made it so long!

The other site is from the Daily Mail out of England and features some of the search and rescue dogs from 9/11 that are still with us. Look at the pictures. What lovely old faces! If you have an old hound, how lucky you are! If you've adopted an older dog, three cheers to you! Let their loyalty and love bring out the best in you.